Long Long Love at Lon Lon Ranch
by VegetableFever
Summary: Two girls, fighting for peace in the age of a tyrant, can always find time for each other. A journey through Hyrule and a developing relationship. Story should be less sappy than summary/title.


A/N: I previously posted this as a one-shot, but I'm going to give it chapters, I think.

Also, I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. (Am I required to say that? Dunno)

**LoZ: OoT**

Two girls of sixteen were sitting in the loft above the horse and cattle stables in Lon Lon Ranch. Malon was idly plucking bits of straw from a nearby block of hay, taking careful aim from the loft's ledge, and releasing them, one by one, onto the cows below. Sitting against the wall next to her, Zelda was playing a fragmented series of gentle tunes on her handmade ocarina (Impa had given it to her as a birthday present a few months ago).

It was a coolish day, but quite warm enough for the girls in the barn loft. Outside, it was mostly clear but for an occasional dark cloud that would waft over the small ranch from the direction of Hyrule Castle. Zelda's previous home was now emanating waves of sinister energy into nearly every corner of her kingdom. 'Except here,' she thought, aware of her proximity to Malon.

Zelda was currently struggling with a short melody that she had heard Malon hum from time to time around the ranch. By now she could toot out the first six notes beautifully, without hesitation. But there was a tricky note soon after that tended to shrill on her ocarina, making the cows' ears flick.

"Tooweeehhht!..." That hideous note. Zelda frowned. Malon grimaced. The cows silently begged for it to be over, both the noise and the rain of hay.

Zelda felt warm. She pulled her outer tunic up and over her head and put her ocarina down next to her. She took a deep breath. Took another one. She'd been wanting to ask Malon for the past twenty minutes:

"Will you sing it for me?" She grinned at the back of Malon's head, still bent over the ledge.

Malon whipped around to face her, looking embarrassed and flattered. "Wha-? Jeez, no! I can't sing in front of people, I-" she scratched the back of her head. She considered for a moment, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Zelda raised an eyebrow back in good-natured mockery.

"Okay. Okay, fine. But if you make a sound or any facial expression of any kind, by the Goddesses I'll chuck you off the loft and let the cuccos peck out your eyes," offered Malon.

"Excellent." Zelda wanted to keep her face as impassive as possible anyway. Lately, she was finding it rather difficult to keep her emotions from exploding out of her calm façade. But, oh, it was _hard_.

Her kingdom was being swallowed, savored and digested slowly by the man who invaded her home, killed her family, stole a piece of the Triforce, and tortured her people. And Princess Zelda was fighting him, indirectly and always in disguise, and she knew it wasn't ever going to be enough. But she had an escape, a distraction that made her feel better and worse all at once. Giddy and safe, when she very well knew she had no right to feel that way. And guilty, so guilty toward her responsibilities. And toward this magnificent farm girl.

Zelda was infatuated. And she prayed to Nayru that Malon would never know. And she prayed that Malon would know. That Malon would slap her back to her senses, to preserve their friendship. That Malon would look at her in disgust and pity, and tell her to never come back, you _sick freak_. That Malon would _roughly_ _grasp the hair at the back of her head and force their lips together and only let go to catch a breath_. Zelda lightly shook her hair to bring herself back to the present moment.

She folded her outer tunic into a loose square and lay on her back, resting her head on the fabric. She hadn't heard Malon sing before. Humming, yes. An occasional bout of whistling. But never this.

Malon opened her mouth.

Zelda felt something twitch in her stomach.

"You know my mother taught me this song," Malon said, stalling. Zelda nodded, smiling on one side of her mouth, and looked up at the ceiling. She said, "I thought it might be something like that."

Malon exaggeratedly cleared her throat, rolled her eyes at what she was about to do, and sang. Zelda lay rigidly beside her, fumbling with the decision of where to put her eyeballs. She was too embarrassed to look directly at Malon, and eventually decided to just shut out visual input altogether. The princess closed her eyes and thought back to when she first met the girl from the ranch.

* * *

A/N: Reviews will be highly appreciated.


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